If I'd chosen a colored soap, this would probably look a lot cooler.

I’m ashamed to admit how long I’ve been meaning to make laundry detergent. One of my biggest obstacles was finding the right soap—I didn’t want to use something cheap with crappy ingredients, but I’m also in no position to use something fancy (like the $5 bar of peppermint Dr. Bronners I’ve been rationing in the shower for at least three months). So when I found a fairly affordable 3-pack of Kirk’s Coco Castile soap at Publix (while on vacation in Gulf Shores with my family, which means I still have to find a local source or order it from Amazon when I run out), it seemed like a logical choice for grating into laundry detergent. And that’s exactly what I did yesterday afternoon, following this homemade laundry soap tutorial from Clean, the Lusa Organics blog. The soap itself smells a little like Ivory, but the laundry detergent turned out fairly unscented. I tested it on a load of towels and gym clothes (the grossest load of laundry I had), and was really happy with the results.

To make your own laundry detergent, you’ll need:

4 to 5 oz soap (2 C grated)
2/3 C baking soda
1 C borax
1 1/3 C washing soda

Grate the soap using a box grater or food processor. (My sad old food processor wasn’t up to the challenge, so it was actually easier for me to grate the soap by hand.) In a large mixing bowl with a spoon you don’t plan on using for food, mix the soap, baking soda, borax, and washing soda. Store in an airtight container—I’m using a large, wide mouth mason jar for easier scooping. For best results, use 2-3 tablespoons of detergent per load of laundry, adding the detergent as the machine fills with water and giving it a minute or so to fully dissolve before throwing in your clothes.

For those of you lucky enough to have HE washing machines, this detergent is supposed to be low-sudsing and, therefore, safe for you to use as well.

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nine pints of homemade sweet hot pickles

Pickles, in general, are one of my favorite snacks. But when my mom introduced me to Wickles last summer, I realized I might have discovered the tastiest pickle of all. Still, while irrefutably tasty, Wickles do have some drawbacks—not only are they around $5 a jar (making them more of a special occasion food for someone on my budget), but they also contain Polysorbate 80 and Yellow 5, ingredients I try to avoid. Unwilling to live without Wickles, I decided to attempt making my own. The last couple summers I’ve experimented with canning (mostly tomatoes and jams), and I’ve been wanting to try  pickles for quite a while anyway. So, tinkering with Emeril’s recipe for Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles, I came up with the following recipe:

Knockoff Wickles

3 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 cup pickling salt
6 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
10 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
24 dried cayenne peppers

Soak cucumbers in pickling salt and water in a large, non-reactive bowl for 2 hours. Transfer cucumbers to a colander and rinse well for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Combine the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, cloves, garlic, and peppers in a mediumsaucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add the cucumbers and onions. Bring to a simmer and remove the saucepan from the heat.

Using a slotted spoon, fill each jar with the pickle mixture, dividing them evenly, and enough of the liquid to come within 1/2-inch of the top. With a clean damp towel, wipe the rim and fit with a hot lid. Screw on the metal ring just until the point of resistance is met. Process the jars in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes.

Using tongs, remove the jars, place on a towel, and let cool. Test the seals by allowing the jars to stand at room temperature overnight or until the lids pop. Remove rings and store in a cool dry place for at least 2 weeks before eating.

Because I had no idea how these would turn out, I started small, making only four pints to begin with. As it turned out, they were ready just in time for the fourth of July barbecue we had, allowing me a pretty large test audience. And they were a hit! While they were by no means exact, they were close enough to guarantee that I probably won’t be buying Wickles anytime soon (if you’re reading this, Wickles people, I’m sorry. I’m a grad student, and I just can’t afford your fancy pickles.) Furthermore, on my last trip back to Mississippi I inherited several more pounds of cucumbers from my dad, most of which went into making the second, much larger batch of these pickles.

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I've had this aloe vera since we moved in, and this is its third container--it's growing like a weed!

I was so glad when I saw this tutorial for How to Make Can Planters at Apartment Therapy recently, because I’ve been hoarding some big coffee and tomato cans with no clue as to what to do with them.  I have more than a few plants almost too big for their containers, nice planters are often too expensive for my  budget.

The gray and beige polka dots in the windowsill above came from a pack of Amy Butler scrapbook paper, while the craft paper below is something I try to keep around because it’s good for so many things.

Craft Paper is one of the best things I can think of. This plant is currently in our living room, but I'm planning on putting it on my desk at school.

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It looks a little like cloudy lemonade.

Back in April I added this homemade toner to my skincare routine.  Despite my fears that apple cider vinegar and aspirin might be too harsh for daily use on my face, I’ve been consistently pleased with their effects on my skin.  Over the summer, however, I read something in this Beauty 101 post on Jezebel.com praising the benefits of green tea when used on the face.  So I decided to modify my toner recipe a little bit, and I’m very glad that I did. The benefits of green tea far exceed the marginal amount of extra work required to add it to this toner recipe.

To make this toner, you’ll need:

• 12 oz or 1 1/2 C water
• one bag of plain green tea
• 4 T apple cider vinegar (I used organic, unfiltered Braggs)
• 20 aspirin

Heat the water until boiling and then steep the green tea, covered, for 5-10 minutes.  Discard the tea bag.  In the meantime, crush the aspirin with a mortar and pestle (or a heavy spoon in a bowl, if you don’t have one) and funnel it into the bottle.  Then pour in the ACV and green tea, screw the top on, and shake until the contents dissolve.  That’s it!

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One of the best purchases I've made!

I decided I’d start off pretty basic with my first Stash Busting project and make these wonderful little tea towels.  I’ve included a step-by-step photo tutorial below.  I used most of what I had left of a beautiful chocolate brown and cream linen damask shower curtain.

You’ll need:

- Fabrics
3/4 yard (44″ wide) light-weight cotton or linen for the towels
1/4 yard (1/2″ wide) twill tape or cotton ribbon for the towel loops

- Supplies:
yardstick
fabric marker
scissors
straight pins

Step 1: Cut out all pieces from the fabric

Step One

- The book says to measure and mark the dimensions below directly onto the wrong side of your fabric using a yardstick and fabric marker. Then, using your scissors, cut out each piece, following the marked lines.  (I don’t have a yardstick, however, but I do have tweezers and I find it just as easy to make my measurements and pull out a thread where I’ll need to cut.  I find that my lines are actually a little straighter that way, since I’m very bad at drawing and cutting straight lines.)
From the fabric, cut 2 towels: 18″ wide x 24″ long
From the twill tape: cut 2 loops: 4 1/2″ long

Folding over the first 1/4"

Folding over the second 1/4"

- With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, fold each edge over 1/4″ toward center of the towel, then press.  Fold over another 1/4″ and press.  Set aside.

The loop method

My (preferred) corner method

- The book says to fold the twil tape so it makes a loop, and tuck it under the fold in the center of one short side.  Pin the loop in place.  I did this for photographic purposes, but for my own use I prefer a straight piece of twill tape in one of the top corners.

- Machine stitch a 3/16″ seam around all four sides, backstitching at each end.  Make sure you stitch through all the layers.  Press.

- If you chose to use the loop method, then, with the right side up, stitch across the loop, just inside the folded edge (approximately 1/16 to 1/8″), through all the layers.  This wills top the edge from curling.

- Repeat the previous steps to make the second towel.

Two sets of finished (?) damask tea towels.

I made two sets of these towels, one with orange stitching and one with blue.  I used bright thread I’d bought for special projects in the past.  If I can rustle up some dye, I’d like to also dye the towels a coordinating color since I really prefer to use kitchen towels that won’t show every speck of dirt.

What's left of my blue thread.

And here’s proof that my stash is already dwindling!

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There's some weird light happening in my hallway this time of day.

You can see the color and pattern of the skirt better in this picture.

A few things to note:

• If, like me, you’ve never sewn with jersey before, then this simple project can prove pretty frustrating.  If you look on some of your store-bought jersey items, you’ll probably notice a two rows of stitches on the hems.  I wasn’t able to make this happen on my skirt for several reasons (I don’t have the manual to my sewing machine, it was after midnight when I was working on this skirt and didn’t want to go to the store, I am impatient), but it really does look more professional and will probably hold up better.  I’m going to learn from this and try and take those factors into account on my next jersey project.
• I should’ve used a stretch needle, made especially for super stretchy knit fabrics like my floral jersey.  Again, I didn’t want to go to the store, so I just used what I had.  I did, however, experience a massive amount of unintentional scrunching of my fabric.  This was great around step 3 of the tutorial, when I needed to gather the skirt, but really annoying when I was sewing down the side and hemming the bottom.  A zig zag stitch may have helped with this, also.  I googled it, but had a hard time finding answers.  I guess only time and more trial and error will tell!
• Steps 4 and 5 of the tutorial are a little confusing if you’re using a fabric with obvious right and wrong sides, unlike the one pictured.  To clarify: on step 4, the waistband should be folded in half widthwise with right sides out.  Right sides are together on step 5, as you’re sewing the skirt panel onto the waistband.
• My skirt is, as I stated earlier, based on my favorite Gap skirt.  To get this fit, your initial measurements will be something like 11″ tall for the waistband and 16″ tall for the skirt (mine has a 1″ hem).

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The finished product, right before I wrapped them up this morning!

The lace is sweet and girly, but the colors are fun and bright enough that I think Holland will still feel like a rock star/princess, or whatever it is kids want to be these days!  To make these sweet shirts, you’ll need: a plain shirt, acrylic paint in a coordinating color, spray adhesive, a doily, and textile medium.

Here’s the process:

• First, pick out where you want the doily pattern to show up on the shirt.  I’m partial to bottom left corner and around the collar.  Using the spray adhesive, stick the doily to the shirt, making sure that no air pockets are left between the fabric and the paper.
• Next, mix the acrylic paint and textile medium according to the instructions on the textile medium package.  Mine required two parts medium to one part paint.

• Using the doily like a stencil, paint over all the spaces where the shirt is showing through.  Be careful not to go outside the doily, and not to apply too much paint (so that it doesn’t bleed). If you’re using a color you’re afraid won’t show up, you can let it dry and apply another coat rather than slathering a ton of paint on all at once.

• Once you’ve given them ample time to dry (a few Weeds episodes did the trick for me!), peel the doily off and wash, dry, and iron the shirts before giving them away.

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Chowdy Boy is sleeping under scrap fabric in the background.

To make one of these, all you have to do is take some simple measurements and sew some squares together.  Take the measurements for the height, width, and length across the top of your sewing machine.  Add 1″ to each measurement, and cut out five rectangles: one for the top, and four for each side.  Sew all the side pieces (the yellow and blue boxes) together to form a tube, then turn that tube inside out and sew the top on, matching the short and long sides up.  Turn the raw bottom edges under 1/2″ and press, then hem.

I've summed the process up in this great diagram: sew the yellow parts together, and hem the blue parts.

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Handmade valentines from recycled cardboard and calendar pages.

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One thing to keep in mind: I used black glossy all purpose spraypaint, the cheapest kind I could find. I did the base coat on one of the frames with what I had left of an old can of black matte spraypaint, and once dry it was really chalky and didn’t look good at all. Since it was just a base coat, I didn’t have a problem with it, but if you want to do this project yourself make sure you get the glossy kind.  I used 2-4 coats, depending on the frame’s original finish (I didn’t bother to sand them, only wiped them down) and how windy it was when I painted each frame.

A boring brown frame, before (I'd already disassembled and started painting the smaller one before I remembered to take pictures)

Before: Cute kitten, boring frame

Butterflies in black frames, after

Sweet kitten in a new black frame, hanging proudly in the hallway.

P.S.  That is an aqua globe you see in the plant on my chest.

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